Dept. of Homeland Security Loses over 1,000 Computers in One Year
by Todd ShepherdI lose things all the time. Last month I lost my wallet. Once a week I lose my car keys. Every day I lose the TV remote.
Thankfully, I’ve never lost a computer.
The Department of Homeland Sercurity (DHS), on the other hand, cannot say the same.
New documents show that component agencies of DHS, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) combined to lose no less than 985 computers in fiscal year 2008. Along with other component agencies in DHS, well over 1,000 computers were lost.
But the inventories of lost stolen and damaged equipment don’t stop with just computers. They include radiation detectors, night vision scopes (hundreds of them), night vision goggles, lost vehicles, lost blackberries, computer servers, expensive radios and radio repeaters.
CBP maintains that the computer losses were within acceptable standards for asset management, saying the losses only represented about .5% of their total computer inventory.
Also, CBP categorically stated that no sensitive information was on any of the 500-plus lost computers from their component agency. If that’s true, it makes you wonder what exactly they use their computers for. Shouldn’t one expect that a CBP computer maintains plans, databases, maps, anything at all, that relates to the securing of the nation’s borders?
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101 Comments
Damn, I miss adults.
How do you lose 958 computers??!!! If this is how Homeland Security is operating, they ALL need to be fired!! Gee, I feel so safe now…NOT!! If they can lose computers, what does that say about the security of this country!!!???
Who was that big government liberal who proposed this new Federal Department? Oh, yeah, Bush. Let's make sure and elect a bunch of Republicans now and then sit back in our easy chairs self-assured we have "done something." And then when they do just like Bush and Brown and McCain whimper "they are RINOs!"
Computers? Hell I thought they had just lost their minds, which don't tally up to the same monetary loss of well over 1,000 computers…!
Kinda like ACORN doing the mass document dump, in the dumpster out back in the alley…!? :-/
Probably disappeared with all the ACORN signs that are quickly "disappearing". Here's an idea make who ever lost "the peoples" property, ie these computers, PAY FOR THEM out of their own pocket! Best part about these alleged lost items is they give access to DHS computer and communication networks. Shouldn't someone be losing their job? Love the nightvision and radiation detectors being listed MIA too! Ummm nothing when its comes to national security is an acceptable loss in my book CBP. Nice real nice DHS and these fools in govt want to run healthcare?! Well gee we had your medical records but lost them, its .5% loss of and acceptable with current system, so sorry I know your very ill (diabetes, cancer etc you pick it) but you have to start all over again…. so how old are you?
This country is in need of a major house cleaning!
My fellow Patriots I ask what are you prepared to do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F452KybPEnQ , is the question you must seriously ask yourself!? Its time for "out of the box" thinking in dealing with all politicians, bias fringe media and special interest groups who are only working for their own interest. Unconventional actions is what is going to be needed to affect real change for America through http://www.savingtherepublic.com
The loss of the ICE records was probably intentional. There are WAY to many people trying every trick in the book to make sure the entire population of Mexico can move to the US any time they want.
There is no faster way to destroy a nation than to have people holding office that ENCOURAGE mass illegal immigration.
Of course it seems that many of the people of Mexico would like nothing better than to see our country collapse so they can rush into the vacuum and gather the spoils.
I believe there are people in our Government who are actively working against constitution and sovereignty of the United States. These people MUST be exposed and tried for high treason! I mean it. THIS MUST HAPPEN!
Of course there wasn't any "sensitive" data on those lost machines. Surely no organization smart enough to lose almost 1000 computers would be stupid enough to put anything important on any of them. No, can't happen.
Man, now I wanna start following around DHS employees so I can get my hands on one of these free computers :p
So, now it's the Dept. of Homeland INsecurity? What a bunch of maroons!
"Lost," my a**.
They're stolen, of course, but by whom and for what reason–I'm wondering who the highest bidder may be…
It's interesting that establishment conservatives only notice "big government" when it's something their political enemies want. When conservatives want it, apparently it doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants a trillion-dollar foreign war, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants 800 military bases in 130 countries, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants a 700-billion-dollar bank bailout, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants to spend billions fighting a needless and destructive War on Drugs, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants to give the Executive unchecked powers to spy and kill and ignore 4th Amendment rights, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants to spend billions building border fences, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants to "protect" the huge, unjust, and terribly inefficient Social Security and Medicare programs, that doesn't count.
• If a conservative wants billions in farm subsidies, that doesn't count.
The fact is, liberals and conservatives both want big government. Their visions just look a little different from each other.
The purpose of government is money and power. The best way to obtain both is by threatening the population. With that you can figure out what is going on. Consider, for instance, that those targeted for the Anthrax attacks (you know, those attacks that went down the memory hole because it conflicted with the "Bush kept us safe" mantra) were people who OPPOSED war.
I have to say there is is a HUGE problem here.. No wonder they can't find illegal aliens they can't even keep track of their computers..
Excellent article!
I lost my virginity once. I never did find it again.
On a serious note, the article leaves out something that is so apparently obvious and logical. Those 1,000 computers were not LOST. They were simply stolen. Stolen by the same UNION employees that used them everyday. Why would a government employee go out and buy a computer, when it is cheaper to steal one from work. After all, it is a rather innocous, innocent crime; it isn' violent, it doesn't hurt anyone. There are no "victims".
I won't even address the topic of the night vision scopes……….
Was wondering when you would show up, Dhasselnazi. DHS was a necessary addition to our country, as a result of the need to get federal and local law enforcement to cooperate better with each other after 9/11. Can't say the same for the )o('s healthscare scam your buddies are trying to force down American's throats. The forming of DHS had near full support from both sides of the aisle, cause it made sense. Healthscare does not, even from the Democrazi side, because it does not.
And, NO, the Jeeeeeewwwws did not steal the DHS's equipment… just had to beat you to the punch : )
they're being put to good use– creating computer models to sort out this whole climate change thing, as well as how to get Obamacare passed through Congress……
Right on! For the agency responsible for something as crucial as our country's security to be so irresponsible with their own tools? They must be tapping from the same pool they get the TSA employees from.
Methinks you have conservatives confused with Republicans. There is a difference.
We elected LOOTERS.
Face it. That's all they are.
LA Riots looters and NOLA looters are in charge now.
Just gettin' what they see as their due.
"You can take the people out of the 'hood……"
Are you going to post this exact same spam on every single thread, Paulian, regardless of the topic?
It would definitely make sense for Government computers to have some sort of tracking abilities built into them, some sort of LO-Jack, a "call home" program that alerts the gov to its location.
Therefore we can assume that they don't. Because that makes sense. And the days of things making sense are long gone with this government.
It's not like you can just ask if anyone has see some homeland security spy stuff lying.
Whole industries are born with each new gov't program.
Just like Medicare is a 60 Billion /year fraud industry.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/23/60minut...
There is no way our government could run any healthcare program.
It would spawn a 600 billion dollar a year industry.
Let's create a Bill that says we have to get our stuff together for existing programs and go form there.
Well, it's even scarier thinking that some of these were stolen by petty thieves do to carelessness on the account of DHS. Who gives a crap if your computer gets stolen when you weren't the one who paid for it in the first place? What kind of info is on these computers that could now be in the public's hands?
I agree they were stolen, they don't want to admit to it because it will show their incompetence!!!
We all know how incompetent they are "The system worked"
"CBP maintains that the computer losses were within acceptable standards for asset management … "
Apparently, Customs and Border Protection is just as good at managing assets as they are at protecting the border.
Who'da thunk it?
Hey mr independent you think Conservatives have been silent about all the issues.
Maybe you should look further than the so called rinos, and silent media, true conservatives have been screaming since Newt and the boys let Clinton win the government shut down trick.
Give me a break. Remember Bush (not a Conservative) trying to stop the housing problem 17 times, he was called basicly a raciest ,privatize the ss and medicare no go, we do need a fence and armed guards for both our borders.
They should look south of the border for those missing computers. Might check the local flea market too.
The column heading is lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed items. I'm not sure this data must mean crooked dealing… border patrol officers are in potentially violent situations every shift they work, it seems possible to me that during the course of a year 80 personal radiation detectors or maybe RIDs, which detect radialogical and chemical environment (drug detection), could be damaged, lost, stolen or desroyed…
I wonder what kind of copmuters are being report damaged, destroyed etc. Police officers have in-vehicle computers that simply connect to a network and don't store data, maybe something like that?
I wish this article contained more info about the equiptment so we could decide for ourselves whether the data is shocking.
What conservative has ever been for Medicare and Social Security? Even Bush (43) wanted to privatize SS and he's no conservative.
My thought exactly.
A school can spy on kids eating candy and accuse them of drug use, but DHS cannot track 1 out of 1,000 "lost" computers?
I found all the computers and night vision goggles….on EBay!!!
Hmmm . . . I could use a laptop too . . .
If you want to find our computers, check out Ebay!
How old is this story???
"How do you lose 958 computers?"
By having 200,000 of them out there. And then experiencing a 1/2 of 1% loss.
God you people are stupid.
"Thankfully, I’ve never lost a computer."
That's good. Now call 200 of your friends and business associates.
And if 1 of them lost a computer you'd be tied with the DHS.
Conservatives were trying to give the citizens the option to privatize a portion of their SS – liberals fought against it.
Conservatives don't want farm subsidies – moderates and liberals do.
Conservatives didn't want the bank bailout – moderates and liberals did.
Conservatives want the Constitution followed – moderates and liberals, eh not so much.
Conservatives want an effective way to combat drug dealers and criminal drug abusers (you know the kind that burglarize your house or kill you because they are stoned) – liberals are usually too stoned to know what's going on
Conservatives are pro-military (and so is the Constitution, btw) because they are the ones that defend our freedom – liberals hate the military
Conservatives do not want to extend American Citizens' Constitutional rights to terrorists – liberals LOVE our enemies and HATE America
1/2 of 1% loss.
So 1-in-200.
Do you lose your laptop once every 200 days?
I did not.
I did not lose mine once in the 1,000 or so days I had it. (It turned out to be a lemon and did not survive as long as it should have.) If I had, that would 1/10th of 1%, or a loss of a mere 200 computers.
The people I know do not lose their laptops even once in 5 or more years they own them. That would translate to a loss rate of 1/20th of 1%, or only 100 computers.
I should like to think that someone handling classified material would not lose something more than once in 10 years/ 3,650 days. That would be less than 60 computers.
So how often do you lose your laptop, and how smart do you think that makes you?
It would be nice if you could be coherent – please provide data for your ridiculous claim
The computers aren't lost. They were stolen by the people assigned to them. If they are missing, investigate the circumstances – if the person assigned to it stole it, then jail them; if they lost it, then make them pay for it and fire them.
I don't think that I've ever agreed with you before, but both Bush's were progressives and were leading the campaign for obama and his crew, no doubt! Depression unseen before will be here before 2011, if my one year of Business Education was correct back in 1966!
Probably you are right on the target with that remark!
Great post! I'm sure obama's right arm ACORN is behind that and much more leading to the biggest stock market crash in American history! And, you thought that obama's Islam trained Twin-Tower bomber brothers hurt the American Economy! They must be laughing about this in the white house all day long!
Considering that most of the DHS employees are contractors, it's very easy to lose equipment. It just walks out of the office and is never seen again. The same for ICE. "Oh my computer was stolen out of my car" and other excuses. It's a good thing that most info is stored on a network and unless a person downloads sensitive information onto an external drive, (which happens a lot) then that is a more serious problem than a stolen laptop.
DHS is a very disorganized institution employing thousands of contractors which work for contracting corporations like SAIC etc. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing most of the time. So, losing 900 some computers is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I am more concerned for this country's safety considering the ineptitude of this colossal, disorganized government agency.
How do lost computers relate to who created the dept? Did Bush lose the computers? There is waste and fraud in EVERY govmt dept. The issue is oversight and accountability. If I lost my take home computer at work I would have to pay to replace it at least. At most, I would be fired. Hold these employees accountalbe for the losses and they will decrease. I guarantee it!
yadayadayadayada. Try staying on subject moron. If you just want to rant find a cow pasture somewhere. I'm not sure the cows will even want to listen, though.
You said a mouthful. I couldn't have said it better! It's only the tip of the ice burg, believe me! Stealing is a way of life for these people. In 2011, there will be the biggest depression in American history and "we the people" voted for it! This time the government will not have the money to pay the people welfare, so they will probably just sell us as slaves to the highest bidder!
I wonder why some school district can find their missing computers by turning on the webcams remotely and the govmt. can't. You would think that with the cost of those things that there would at least be a tracking chip in them. Every one couldn't have been ( LOST ) by a freaking computer engineer. With a modicum of effort this could be stopped!
"The Department of Homeland Sercurity (DHS)"?
HI-5…….BZ
A private company could not and would not tolerate these kinds of losses.
1/2 of 1% loss.
So 1-in-200.
Do you lose your laptop once every 200 days?
You are an idiot. Your comparison is utter nonsense. The facts are that 1/2 of 1% of the computers were lost. Whether I lose mine within 200 days has nothing to do with it.
1 out of 200 lost a computer.
And who claimed they had classified data on them?
Typical teabaggery. Just make sh*t up.
Make them pay for the equipment, what a revolutionary idea! The should pay all the costs associated with the lost computer, software, IT time, PLUS, a penalty. I expect we would then see a drop in crime to rival the 80's.
hip
New Study Reveals Up To 12,000 Laptop Computers Lost Weekly and up to 600,000 lost annually in U.S. Airports
http://www.ponemon.org/news-2/8
Where did you get your new computer Sir? I goteem aa de flea markeet, dey $49.95, mi coseen,
hee god de boof, godee custom weelz
aahhhmm Mr Independent…………you need to change # 8 to FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS(food stamps)
GRIDLOCK, EMBRACE IT!!!!!!!!
valid post, however the gvt probably only pays $50 apiece for them, buying in bulk, donchaknow?
…….they were stolen by the very people they were assigned to, POLYGRAPH ANYONE?
the dog ate my computer????
GRIDLOCK, LIVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POLYGRAPH, ANYONE ? ? ?
….need to get federal and local law enforcement to cooperate better with each other after 9/11
There was never a need for that and there isn't one now.
Why not merge the three branches of government together so they will cooperate better?
The forming of DHS had near full support from both sides of the aisle,
Why should that be surprising when we only have one party – the party of BIG GOVERNMENT statism. We are like the Soviets used to be.
Chertoff? Does he have dual citizenship?
Looks like government employees are re-selling government property, or just outright stealing it for themselves.
Yes you would be correct in that number, the Department of Homeland Security, I am sure is proud of their normalcy. But the Department of Homeland Security is not normal. Every employee can be terminated for theft. So where are the 1,000 fired Employees?
Ja-No (pre-op) is really out of touch. First the system worked, then it failed. First she was called by justice and now she wasn't notified if it was ok to read the Underwear Bomber us rights. She is worse than Joe Biden at the microphone. She has no control over her areas of operation. This is bad when the best cops in the world (what they should be hiring) lose 1,000 computers!
And Team Obama wants to unionize the TSA? LMAO.
Wait….it makes sense now…union connections…missing laptops….
Inside Job and already fenced.
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
I could use a pair of those night vision scopes when saling at night. That would be better than the stupid radar.
Hey thieves, if you have a some of those night vision scopes let me know. If you have 2 sets even better. That would be a real moral issue wether to call the FBI or get a great price on some military stec night vision scopes. Then again if I call the FBI they may quote me a better price.
We seem to be living in a corrupt time and it goes allt he way to the top.
How did the United States survive without the Department of Homeland Security for so long?
And when you go around the world constantly kicking hornets nests, you might get stung.
Agreed, how the hell do you lose a server? They are not exactly a pack of chewing gum. That is incompetence at it's utmost hilarity. "I gotta tell you boss, I put it down to tie my shoe and then it was gone." Morons. I see alot or switches, also hard to lose, and 2 vehicles, again pretty hard to lose. Who do they have there, the friggin Keystone cops? Inspector Clouseau is running the show? Damn! Thats alot of tax dollars down the crapper, and what, they just shrug their shoulders… pathetic.
Or find terrorists with a bomb strapped to their junk. After being told by his DAD that he was radicalized. Good God, Napolitano, pack it in toots. You are officially INEPT!
Recently there was a story about lost HAND GUNS!! There are a few hundred of those floating around too.
Same bunch of "brain surgeons" – DHS.
Missing? Bullshit! Theft of government property owned by the taxpayer. Grand Theft. Indict and prosecute dammit.
You can have the computers, I want a night vision scope, goggles and a "lost" vehicle! Can you say Christmas! Oops, probably not, might offend a Muslim…
+1. Would have been +10 but, despite living near Chicago, I was limited to one vote.
"CBP maintains that the computer losses were within acceptable standards"
A perfect example of how accountable our government is.
CHINA
I guess basic math is too much for you. If 1-in-200 people I know lose their laptops, it is also as if 1 person lost his laptop repeatedly once every 200 times they used it.
As for having classified data, what sort of data would you expect they have on them? Basic public information? If so, they could just access it from a home computer. Obviously they needed it for something secure. Maybe not highly classified, but obviously something not suitable for general release.
As for your issues with sexual practices, that is on you.
So, let me get this strait; the people in charge of preventing illegal aliens and illegal drugs from getting into our country lost 985 computers. This loss is due to either incompetency or theft (dishonesty). Maybe our drug and illegal alien problems in our nation might have to do with crooks and idiots in ICE and CBP.
Maybe the government should have a seeing eye (webcam) like the high school in Pennsylvania spying on their kids. The school stated that they only did it when one of their student's computers were stolen or lost!!!
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/18/1488166/sui...
Sounds worse than my kids and their cell phones, iPods, etc. My kids are responsible for replacing their lost/broken electronics if they are culpable in their use/misuse. Who pays for DHS's stuff? VEHICLES? How do you lose a VEHICLE for God's sake?! My kids better not try & use the DHS's "falls within acceptable limits" bs with me when they are entrusted with a vehicle! I'd definitely pop a major artery in process of opening up a can of woop-@ss. LOL
Either stolen and given to the Obama Youth Brigades (who were training a year ago, and we've not heard a peep since watching the OFA "bootcamp training" video….hmmm…)
Or to Jamaat ul Fuqra, which perhaps is Obama's other on-call Army.
Either way, stolen and given to be used against the people of the USA.
There are no secrets in America anymore. You can bet your last dollar that Obama and his administration have given or sold, but probably given, every single one away.
We've never had a president and administration that has as its goal the destruction of America.
It's a sad, strange thing to see. Even sadder to see America doing JACK SQUAT ABOUT IT.
Sounds like the government is running a high end pawn shop, but nothing ever gets bought out of hock.
Burreaucrat "i stole, i mean lost my computer"
other Burreaucrat -" oh thats ok we'll get you another one asap, no biggie"
Personally, if the financial system collapses, I believe it will be we who are flooding south, to Mx.
Think on it. No services=no services, who givess a damn. US dollar worthless, will the peso be
worth more or less? Why stay here & kill yourself trying to salvage a life, that will be no more. If
mass migration occurs, THE BORDER FENCE WILL BE BUILT, by National Guard troops, quickly.
Effin A I want a border fence.. You definitely have conservatives and Republicans confused. The very definition of the Conservative Movement is Limited Government.
Are they secretly arming their shadow army? Didn't Obama state that he wanted a well armed and supplied civilian army? Is that what is happening? Where are these high tech. surveillance items going?
Really make you feel safe doesn't it! Maybe if the federal government had some hiring/firing standards, the BOZOs that lost the equipment would be fired. Start at the top with napolitano, and clean house! Just imagine if this happened under George W's watch. Thinks the libRETARDS might have something to say?
The DHS is a complete disaster, and has been so from its inception. I wrote extensively about this in my book at http://www.dididawdawdidi.com. With Lalaland Napolitano it its helm, it's worse than you can think. Read about this in the book.
Hmmph. Back in *my* day, computers were too big to lose.
[...] [...]
The only stupid one on here is YOU!
[...] 1,000 Computers in One Year Posted by RunLukeRun under Uncategorized Leave a Comment Dept. of Homeland Security Loses over 1,000 Computers in One Year. [...]
Great reporting I expect that this overall topics losses – thefts from the US Government and other State governments should be transparent and made available to the public so that we can see the details as shown. The flipside is how many losses – thefts are NEVER reported?? Let's start with the White House.
[...] Dept. of Homeland Security Loses over 1,000 Computers in One Year Who knew that ‘lost’ was ‘Newspeak’ for thievery? [...]
How in the hell are these people losing VEHICLES??? I just can't wrap my mind around that.
Actually, I'd say any loss of a computer from a government agency dealing with something important like, oh, security is a big deal.
[...] while she’s working on that program, maybe she can find the 1000 missing DHS computers. New documents show that component agencies of DHS, specifically Immigration and Customs [...]
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